— Grassroots group kicks off National Nutrition Month with screening ofaward-winning film “Soul Food Junkies” —New York, NY (BlackNews.com) — MomsRising.org answered First LadyMichelle Obama’s call for parents to get involved in the fight againstchildhood obesity. The grassroots organization kicked off NationalNutrition Month with a “Food Power” conference and film screening topromote healthy eating habits and urge participants to support the U.S.Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recently released guidelines on schoolmeals.A video welcome from the First Lady motivated moms, dads, bloggers, andcommunity activists gathered in Brooklyn, NY. “I’m so thrilled to haveMomsRising.org and all of your grassroots muscle and passion working rightby our side because as we’ve seen again and again through ‘Let’s Move,’people like you play a vitally important role in helping our kids eathealthier and get the physical activity they need,” Obama said. “If youall are not leading the way in your community then who will?”

African American children suffer disproportionately from obesity. A 2010Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report revealed that AfricanAmerican women were 70% more likely to be obese than Non-Hispanic Whitewomen and African American girls were 80% more likely to be overweightthan Non-Hispanic White girls. This crisis prompted MomsRising.org, anonline and on-the-ground grassroots organization with more than 1.1million members, to team up with filmmaker Byron Hurt to screen his awardwinning documentary “Soul Food Junkies” at the “Food Power” gatherings.

“We’re very excited to be working on the same path that Mrs. Obama andByron Hurt are to improve children’s health,” said MomsRising.orgexecutive director, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. “Childhood obesity hasreached epidemic proportions in the U.S. and we all need to work togetherto reverse this dangerous and deadly trend.”“Soul Food Junkies” (www.itvs.org/films/soul-food-junkies) offers asometimes humorous exploration of the Black community’s affinity for foodslike fried chicken, fat-flavored collard greens, and fried pork chops,despite the fact that these foods increase risks for diabetes, high bloodpressure, stokes, heart disease and obesity. Inspired by the prematuredeath of his father, Hurt traces the origins of soul food back to slaveryand encourages healthier approaches to soul food preparation. The filmfeatures appearances from activist/comedian, Dick Gregory; poet, SoniaSanchez; writer, Michaela Angela Davis; and commentator Marc Lamont Hill.In addition to the film screening, several parents shared personal storiesabout their battle to get their families to eat healthier meals. A panelof experts discussed practical ways to defeat the epidemic of childhoodobesity. As MomsRising.org is focused on taking action, the break-outsessions provided attendees with a choice of three campaigns to sign-onto: How to get junk food out of school, how to stop junk food marketing tochildren, and breastfeeding, health care and preventing childhood obesity.MomsRising.org campaign director, Monifa Bandele, speaks to media topromote healthier school meals during the MomsRising.org “Food Power”conference in NY.“Each of our workshops focused on action and provided participants withthe tools to get engaged,” said Monifa Bandele, campaign manager,MomsRising.org. “The attendees left the ‘Food Power’ conference withmarching orders to heed First Lady Michelle Obama’s call for the communityto act.”Speakers at the Brooklyn launch event included Karen Showalter,MomsRising.org; Dr. Aletha Maybank, NYC Dept. of Public Health; dreamhampton, MomsRising.org; Migdalia Rivera, LatinaOnAMission.com; TanyaFields, Brown Girl Swagger; Lorraine Gonzalez, Children’s Defense Fund;Jessica Donze Black, Kids Safe and Healthful Foods; and Joy Spencer,Center for Digital Democracy, among others.MomsRising.org is challenging childhood obesity through improving schoolmeals. The issue of nutrition and the role of schools foods incontributing to childhood obesity are gaining currency. The USDA recentlyopened up a 60-day comment period on its updated national nutritionstandards for foods and beverages sold through vending machines and a lacarte lines.The recent “Food Power” conference is just one of many planned eventsaround the country as MomsRising.org gathers support and gains awarenessfor its cause. The next event – a film screening and panel discussion –will take place in Detroit, MI at the Fellowship Chapel on Thursday, March21, 2013 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00.The free event is open to the public.

About MomsRising.orgMomsRising.org is an online and on-the-ground grassroots organization ofmore than a million people who are working to achieve economic securityfor all families in the United States. MomsRising is working for paidfamily leave, flexible work options, affordable childcare, and for an endto the wage and hiring discrimination that penalizes so many others. MomsRising also advocates for health care for all, toxic-freeenvironments, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have ahealthy start. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members areorganizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change thenational dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’sfamilies. In 2012, Forbes.com named MomsRising’s web site as one of theTop 100 Websites For Women for the third year in a row. In 2013, WorkingMother magazine included MomsRising on its “Best of the Net” list.